new to 9mm - need advice

I recently purchased my first 9mm pistol, a Ruger SR9c and I really like it. I want to start handloading for it and since I cast for my other guns I might as well cast for this one too.LOL.
This will be for informal target shooting and plinking. I just want to be able to shoot it without breaking the bank.
Already went thru a hundred rounds in the first session and at $30 plus per box it gets expensive.

So I am wanting to get a mold and from some of the posts I have read it looks like the truncated cone design in 120-124 gr is pretty popular.
I am looking at the 6 cav Lee 356-120tc to get started. Does any one here have experience with this mold and how do you like it? Would the tumble lube version be better? Should I look at a different weight boolit?

Ordered 1000 pcs of brass, have a couple thousand primers
and I have Red Dot and Unique powders on hand but can get something else if I need to.
My lead is coww and I also have some pure lead if needed to mix.
Still need to slug my bore before I order sizing dies. I have a Lyman 45 for lubing and sizing.

Any other pointers on reloading the 9mm is appreciated.

hey randy, sorry i am no help because i'm in the same boat as you, just getting started with the 9mm. so far i'm thinking the same as you, 124 gr. truncated tumble lube. just because im not ready to pan lube yet :D
i hope others will chime in and share some knowledge and experience.......mizzouri

I don't have the Lee, but I do use the Lyman 356402, which is very close in design. Good boolit and feeds well.

I have the Lee 356-120 TC non tumble lube molds in both the 2 cav and 6 cav. It's a very good bullet. I've shot thousands of them thru my Browning Hi Power and Glock 17 with Storm Lake barrel. I use straight COWW and drop them in a 5 gal.bucket of water right out of the mold. The main thing with cast bullets in the 9mm is don't size them down smaller than .357" even if your barrel is .355 or .356. The guys that have accuracy or leading problems with cast bullets in the 9mm size them down too small.

I prefer the 356-125-2R over the TC, the 2R does not seat as low in the case as the TC. Both shoot really well for me though. Case space for powder is very limited in the 9mm. Titegroup is good for 9mm.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Garyshome

I prefer the 356-125-2R over the TC, the 2R does not seat as low in the case as the TC. Both shoot really well for me though. Case space for powder is very limited in the 9mm. Titegroup is good for 9mm.

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I agree!!

Yes, 9mm is limited for powder space and usually that means a fast burning powder. The little cases can build pressure quickly, you need to be careful not to seat bullets too deep or load more powder than necessary in them. I ended up pulling bullets once, for just that reason, too much powder. It takes good to a taper crimp, really doesn't require much there.

124-5 grain is good, some guys like heavy-for-caliber 147 grainers. I've been just staying in the 124-5 grain range, and shooting a lot!

Good Luck,
Ron


If you have the Lyman 45, make use of a good bullet, non-tumble lube type. Unique is a good, consistent powder. It may be a little coarse but, will load good just the same. Somewhere around 3 to 4 grains should be the load for your gun.

You mention slugging, I really don't slug mine. The 9mm should be .355 to .356 and , that means to a reloader that .358 is two thousandths oversize. I've been shooting .358 commercial hard cast in 3 different 9mm pistols. The .357s and .358s are good stuff. Although, I'll admit, I haven't shot any .357 sized bullets yet.

I have an SR9c. I found that the Lyman 356402 sized to .358 over 6 grains of HS6 (Winchester 540) shoots well. I tried the Lee 356-124-2R tumble lube but it dropped at .356 and was to small and grouped poorly and leaded the barrel. I have the 4 cavity version of the Lyman 356402, I think its the only way to go. You can get several hundred bullets cast in 2-3 hours.

Check this sticky:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...s-in-a-new-9mm

May save you some grief.

Bill

Thanks for the replies. I wondered about the Lee dropping too small. I already have .358 sizing dies so that is good. I may pick up the Lyman mold as I already have a set of handles for it.

+1 on starting with your .358 sizing die....bet it works fine. I use the Lee 356-125-2R and 356-120-TC (regular lube) they drop @ .359+ with my alloy. I've never had a Lee mold that was undersized. I really like the Lyman 356402 and the older 358242 (120gr) also. You won't go wrong with any of those.

Just a thing to be aware of as you load and shoot 9mm. Cases after a number of loadings tend (and do) lose some of their springiness as the brass gets worked. This translates into poorer grip on the bullet and the bullet is more prone to being moved back during feeding...in the 9mm case even slight movement backward can and does raise the pressure...sometimes excessively. And that changes a few things. Suggest that you do some reading on annealing cases as that may become an issue/concern later. I use the Lyman 358242 and the RCBS truncated cone 115 bullets with straight WW and keep my mv's below 900 fps...works well for informal plinking and target shooting at 25 meters. Reasonably good grouping and no leading. Many powders work well in the 9mm, but I settled on 4.8 grains of 4756 as it pretty well fills the case and the pressure is low while it also recycles/feeds well. LLS

Using range lead bullets weight 124 gr. lubed with Lars 2500.( Sometimes I use the Lee push thru sizer and lube with xlox (Lars) or Lee Liq. alox and size them 358 and then lube again. Your gun might like a 357 sized bullet. Try in your gun before loading more than 6 or 10 to see how they feed and function. Clean my gun after each match IDPA......lead comes out easily with copper chore girl method.....Look it up on this forum. In 5 plus min. its clean and ready to go. With a 6 cav. Lee you can really get a large am't and make it worth while. I am happy with this mold and bullet style in my Beretta 92.afish4570

"lead comes out easily with copper chore girl" ----- this is bad news. Should
be NO lead to clean out. Try larger diam.

Bill

A35-125B with bevel base, you can PC or HiTek and leave off the lube groove. Slightly smaller nose eliminated having to seat deep to chamber. Order one that drops 0.358-.359 in your alloy, size properly, get Lee (or better) handles and go. Works great in my (& 2 others + XD 9mm) 3" XDs, 4 gr. W231. My 40SW Lee moulds are worn out. Buy once - no messing with the mould - it just works. Get a proper expander die/plug (M-39P) & DON'T run the plug too deep or you will not be able to chamber. Taper crimp just to remove the bell. Use range pick up so you don't need to anneal.
Unless you are set up for conventional lubes, read the coating stickys. The stuff works.

I just got in a 1000 pcs of indoor range brass so I can start reloading. Dies and mold are coming in monday. Also just picked up a convection toaster oven and will be trying the pc method and compare it to the std lube version to see if there is much difference in accuracy, etc.. Never have experienced leading in any of my .357's, .44's or .45acp and hope not to on my 9mm either. Only used Bens Red for lube. I have reloaded .45 acp before so I'm familar with the taper crimp and fitting of the boolits etc.
Thanks for all the info guys.

For the new 9mm caster some tips to help out:

120 to 125 TC or RN are good to cast with and shoot well

faster powders are good slowest powder you can use will be Bluedot

DO NOT use mixed case's seperate by HS and batch load per HS case length, and capacity can vary as much as 20% among different HS 9mm case's.

This is a note from my own exploration into 9mm casting: don't waste your time with tumble lube, I never got it to work in the 9 and many here had the same failure. Pan lube as cast might be a good start but if you have a lube sizer stick with it.

9mm varies all over the place as far as barrel diameter is concerned but as the OP has a new Ruger I'm thinking I'd start out with .356 to .357 diameter boolits as a starting point.

I will also suggest small batches, 100 rounds, as you learn. Tough to dismantle 1000 if you get it wrong, LOL.

I usually suggest you get a Lee 2 banger to start out with, cheap and you can try several molds until you find one you like, the proviso is ya may have to deal with a QC problem or two before ya get a good one.

I suggest you deal with a local stocking dealer if possible then you can inspect on site before you pay for it.

I have that boolit in a 6 cav. Non-tl. They drop .3585 and I size to .357, lube with Ben's Red, and have had no issues with feeding or leading in five different guns. I have a few TL moulds, but lube them in my lubesizer anyway. I load them over 3.9 gr. Red Dot, that's what my Little Dandy drops.

I've had good luck tumble lubing my 356-120-TC boolits with 45/45/10. These are the traditional lube grooved bullets. Tumble lubing let's me lube 500+ in a gallon ziploc bag all in one step. An overnight dry and they are ready to load. No sizing needed for me. They shoot great in my M&P which has a 0.3545" groove. I seat them to the edge of the cone and they plunk test perfectly.